The present invention relates to an electrical connector and more particularly to a releasable connector having a lanyard associated therewith.
Release-type electrical connectors are well-known in the art and one use has been with a fuel tank or a missile which is to be jettisoned or launched from an aircraft.
Many quick-release type of electrical connectors have been in use, one of which is a ball-groove type. One such ball-groove type is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,439, entitled, "Quick-Release Electrical Connector", which issued July 18, 1972, to Ottomar H. Vetter. In this patented connector, a coupling ring is provided that is rotated or twisted in the usual manner to effect the mating of the two connector components. During the coupling, the balls are already received in a circumferential groove, and act as mechanical intermediary to advance the associated connector component into its mated condition with the other component. A simple axial pull of sufficient magnitude is all that is required to achieve the release. The balls, during the connector's release or separation, move with the grooved component and are then cammed outwardly, thereby providing positive assurance that the balls no longer interfere with the full release. The same camming means permits the balls to be later shifted back into the groove for subsequent re-use of the connector. Any recoupling of the connector is then performed in the same manner as initially done.
Another type of quick-disconnect connector uses a resilient element that, when unconfined, springs outwardly to provide a release between a receptacle and a plug. One such type connector is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,316, entitled, "Peripheral Threaded Tang Quick-Disconnect Umbilical Connector", which issued June 24, 1969, to George J. Panek and Aloysius M. Mocek. In this umbilical connector, a number of tangs are provided on a plug for threaded receipt onto a mating connector. A shell disposed about the tangs is movable from a first position holding the tangs in threaded engagement with the mating connector to a second position releasing the tangs and permitting them to spring outwardly by inherent resilience to disengage the mating connector.